perspective.

There was a tsunami in Indonesia this past week. A 2 month old was discovered alive in a storm drain. An 18 month old was found clinging to a small clump of trees for 3 days.

Stories like this cause us to pull our children closer to us, and so we should.

Yet, I must prepare you dear mother. Because for now, you may have your little ones near your watchful eye. That is a comforting feeling. But one day, you will not.

Have you ever planted a vegetable garden? You can carefully till the soil until it's soft and pliable. You can choose the best seeds and the best plants. You can add fertilizer and water faithfully. You can watch over it with utmost diligence, pulling out every weed as it pops its head above the soil.

But what if a hail storm comes? What if crows scratch at the dirt and steal the seeds? What if a rabbit or deer nibble at the new plantings? What if a late frost comes and damages your hard work?

Life is as unpredictable as this. Sometimes we step back and feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Sometimes,  no matter what we did to do a job well done, circumstances beyond our control come along and bring destruction.

There are seasons in life. Our culture places too much emphasis on input - output. While there is merit to this, we cannot..should not.. put all our confidence in this or we will be very disappointed.

One day, your children will make choices that you do not agree with. You may have taught and modeled something entirely different and will be shocked the first time it happens. Don't. Because they will do it again!

Enjoy this time if you are a mom with young children. It will change. Not for the worse, just different. And you will find yourself growing along with them as they grow. We can put the tools in their hands, but they must choose how to use them.